Box or package handling apparatus



v w. '6. PRICE.

BOX 0R PACKAGE HANDLING APPARATUS.

v APPLICATION FILED SEPT 10,1919. v 1,388,200. Patented Aug. 23, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I W. G. PRICE.

BOX 0R PACKAGE HANDLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT l0, l9l9- i Patented Aug. 23, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM G. PRICE, OF YAKIMA, WASHINGTON.

BOX OR PACKAGE HANDLING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug, 23, 1921;

Application filed September 10, 1919. Serial No. 322,810..

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM G. PRICE, a citizen of the United States,and resident of Yakima, in the county of Yakima and State ofWVashington, have invented a new and be automatically delivered to anelevator for conveying same to ahigher elevation to be discharged fromsaid conveyer at such higher elevation such as is illustrated anddescribed in an application for Letters Patent of the United Statesfiled by me on the 23rd day of June, 1919, Serial No. 306,239.

The object of the present invention is to provide means for dischargingthe box or package at the upper end of the elevator or conveyer so as toinsure its being properly deposited without upsetting the box or joltingthe fruit in such a way as to injure or bruise the same.

To these ends my invention comprises the novel features hereinafter setforth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a vertical elevation partlybroken away of my improved apparatus. Fig. 2'is a plan view of thebracket and the conveying ap-' paratus to which the bracket is attached;Fig. 3 is an enlarged side view of the bracket; and Figs. 4-and 5 showmodified forms of my invention.

The numeral 2 designates the outer section of a gravity conveyer whichis inclined slightly toward the elevator 3. The gravity conveyer 2 isprovided with the idler-rollers 4 which support the boxes 5 as they movedown Said gravity conveyer.

The elevatorframe 3 extends from the floor A up through floor B at anysuitable angle, and is supported at the upper floor B by the braces 6secured by the bolts 7. The sprocket-chain belts 8 form an endlessconveyer and are supported by the timbers 9 of the elevator frame, andare prevented from slipping therefrom by guide pieces 10. Thesprocket-chains 8 engage the idler sprockets 11 at the lower end of theelevator frame, and at the upper end of said frame pass around thedriven sprocketwheels 12 which are keyed to the shaft 13. Thesprocket-wheel 14 is keyed to the shaft 13 and is driven by thesprocket-chain 15 which is driven by the sprocket-wheel'16 keyed to theshaft 17. r

The pulley 18 is keyed to the shaft 17 and is driven by any suitablepower.

The sprocket-chains 8 carry the box sup porting brackets C which aremade up of the followingparts: The arms 19 are pivotally mounted attheir inner ends on the rods 19*, said rods being secured to the lugs 19on the sprocket-chains 8. A sleeve 19 on the rod 19 acts as aspacer forthe ends of the arms '19. The braces 20 are pivotally mounted on the rod2O which is secured to the lugs 20 on the sprocket-chains 8. Rollers 22are mounted on the rod 20*, said rollers traveling on the tracks 23. Aspacing sleeve 20 is interposed between said rollers.

The outer ends of the arms 19 and the braces 20 arepivotally mounted onthe rod 21. Levers 24 are pivotally connected to the braces 20. Links 25are pivotally connected to one end of, thelever 24 and pivotallyconnected at their opposite ends to the inner ends of the arms 19. Links26 are pivotally connected to the opposite end of the lever 24' and saidlinks are pivotally connected attheir upper ends to thesupportingmembers or bars 27 which are pivotally connected to the upper ends ofthe braces 20.

In the operation of the apparatus the box 5 of loose or packed fruit iscarried by the gravity carrier 2 automatically down into position to beelevated from said carrier as the brackets C come around. Stops 28 areprovided to hold the boxes at proper intervals apart, said stops beingthrown automatically out of the way by the ascent of the bracket, but asthe means for operating these steps forms no part of my invention, ithas not been deemed necessary to. illustrate or describe the same indetail.

As the bracket ascends with the box supported thereon, the box will beheld in a horizontal position until the arms 19 and the braces 20 beginto pass around the sprocket wheel 12, whereupon the pivotal. points ofconnection of said arms and braces with the chain 8 are brought nearereach other which causes the links 25, levers 24 and links 26 to lift thebars 27 and said parts assume the position indicated in full lines atthe top of Fig. 1. In this position the boxris lifted to a point abovethe gravity discharge 30, and further movement of the chain 8 brings theparts to the position indicated in dotted lines at the top of Fig. 1,whereby the box is lowered through the arc of a circle onto the gravityconveyer 30 and laid thereon without jolts or sudden jars, which mightinjure or bruise the fruit. The bars- 27 pass down in the space betweenthe wheels of the gravity conveyer 30.

In Fig. 4 I have illustrated a modified form of my invention in whichthe brackets consist of the arms 31 and braces 32 pivotally secured tothe sprocket chain and to each other. The links 33 are p'ivotallyconnected to the braces 32, and to the support ing members or bars 3pivotally mounted at 35 to the arms 31. In this modified form the samemovement is given to the box as in discharging it, in the same manner asabove,

onto the gravity conveyer, for as the pivotal connections of the arms 31and the braces 32 are brought nearer as they pass around the uppersprocket wheel, the parts will. assume the positions shown at the upperend of Fig. 4, where the bars 3-1 are shown as elevated and about todescend to deposit the box on the gravity conveyer.

In Fig. 5 I have illustrated another modified form of my invention inwhich the brackets consist of the arms 36 and braces 37, the arms 36being pivotally connected to thesupporting members 38 by the rod 39, andthe'braces 37 being pivotally connected to said supporting members bythe rod 10. The links 11 connect the armsi36 and braces 37. 7 When thechain belt 8 passes around the sprocket wheel 12, the pivotalconnections of said arms with the sprocket chain approach each other andthe arm 36 fulcrums on the link 41 to lift the supporting members 38slightly above a horizontal position to support the box. As thesupporting member 38 moves forward it carries the box and deposits it onthe gravity conveyer without liability of tilting the box sufficientlyto spill the fruit.

What I claim is:

1. In package handling apparatus,- the combination of an endlesstraveling chain conveyer, a bracket carried thereby comprising arms andbraces pivotally mounted at their inner ends on said conveyer andconnected at their outer ends, load supporting members carried by saidarms and braces normally in a horizontal position, and means forelevating the outer ends of said supporting members when the innerendsof said arms and braces approach each other as said conveyer movesaround the upper sprocket wheels.

2. In package handling apparatus, the

combination of an endless traveling chain conveyer, a bracket carriedthereby compris- 7 ing arms and braces pivotally mounted at their lnnerends on said conveyer and connected at their outer ends, supportingmembers carried by said arms andfbraces normally in a horizontalposition, and links connecting said arms and braces whereby as thepoints of connection of said arms and braces on the said travelingconveyer approach each other around the upper sprocket wheels saidsupporting members are elevated, advanced and gradually loweredsimultaneously.

3. In package handling apparatus, the combination of an endlesstraveling chain conveyer, a bracket carried thereby comprising arms andbraces pivotally mounted at their inner ends on said conveyer and con--nected at their outer ends, supporting members carried by said arms andbraces normally in a horizontal position, said braces being pivotallysecured to the inner ends of said supportmg members, said arms beingpivotally connected to said supporting members at a point beyond saidpoint of connection of said braces with said supporting members, andlinks connecting said arms and braces. In testimony whereof, I, the saidWILLIAM Gr. PRICE, have hereunto set my hand.

NVILLIAM Gr. PRICE.

7 Witnesses:

E. B. VELIKANJE,

ERNEST HARMON,

